TotalWrestling.net – TNA Victory Road 2008 Roundtable

Welcome to the inagrual edition of the TotalWrestling Roundtable. Each month we will cover both WWE and TNA pay per views with our panel. Unfortunately due to scheduling conflicts we are unable to announce our special roundtable panellist right now, but hopefully that will happen for the Great American Bash. This event also will see just 3 panellists due to the short notice we were given because of the new site. Hopefully, for the Bash we will have the full panel together for the first time. So, allow me to introduce our panellists. First of all, Will. Primarily a WWE fan but will be participating in TNA roundtables too. Billy, primarily a TNA fan, but as with Will, will also be participating in WWE events. Then there is myself. I am Chris watch both TNA and WWE although tend to prefer TNA’s product. Hopefully we will be able to announce the other members at the Bash, but until then, here is the first TotalWrestling.net Pay Per View Roundtable:

Chris: With TNA supposedly working towards a Kevin Nash vs Samoa Joe match at No Surrender in Canada, I see Samoa Joe retaining the title here. I understand its Booker T’s home town, but I don’t see him taking the title. If anything, I predict we will see Nash interfere to try and cost Joe the title with Sting making the save possibly setting up Samoa Joe and Sting vs Kevin Nash and Booker T next month, followed by Joe vs Nash the following month. Plus this also gives Joe the rub and another win over a bonafide superstar.Winner: And STILL TNA World Heavyweight Champion…..SAMOA JOE

Billy:Victory Road hails from Booker T’s hometown of Houston this year, and he has a lot of momentum heading into his main event match this Sunday night. However, we have been repeatedly told that Samoa Joe cannot defeat Booker T, which leads me to believe he will retain the World Title, but it won’t be a clean finish due to some interference by Kevin Nash. Nash has gone from a friend of Joe’s to being a thorn in his side and something will happen to further spark a final break up and feud between the two. Winner: TNA World Heavyweight Champion, Samoa Joe

Will: The general opinion seems to be that Samoa Joe will retain the title here, and I have to agree. Despite Booker being in his hometown, Joe going over and retaining would give him the away-team like win. It’s obvious they’re building towards a Nash/Joe match, so this match seems pointless if you consider that.
Winner: SAMOA JOE

Chris: So, we have a TNA Tag Team Championship match where the gimmick is set up as an authority figures way to punish the heel team. Wrestling booking 101 tells us if are the heel and you have the advantage on a go home show, you’re losing the match on the pay per view. I just don’t see Beer Money getting the big win on Sunday.Winners: And STILL TNA World Tag Team Champions……LAX

Billy:For several weeks, LAX and Beer Money Inc. have been at each other’s throats with Roode and Storm successfully gaining the upper hand more often than not. The champions have been whipped, beaten and handcuffed. If you are babyface champions getting your backsides routinely handed to you, logic dictates that you will be winning your big match when the gold is on the line. LAX might be wounded but they will step up their game and score a decisive victory over their hated rivals. Watch for Jacqueline and Salinas to get involved in some capacity to help out their respective teams or take each other out of the picture.Winner: TNA World Tag Team Champions, The LAX (Homicide/Hernandez)

Will: This match was on the card for TNA’s Liverpool shows back in June, and it went down well with the UK crowd. It remains to be seen if tonight’s PPV version can do the same, but I’m looking at LAX winning as they did in Liverpool.Winners: LAX

Chris: This is the hardest title match to call. Taylor is the reigning champion after winning it on iMPACT, so I don’t think TNA would pull the win out on television only for her to drop it back to the former champion 3 days later. On the other hand, she won it in pretty much a fluke win with a roll up out of nowhere. The Knockouts championship has been booked pretty well since its inception at Bound For Glory, so I am hoping that we don’t get a hotshot title switch for no real reason, so I say….Winner: And STILL TNA Knockouts Champion……TAYLOR WILDE

Billy:This is a rather difficult match to predict since Kong has been booked as an unstoppable violent monster since debuting in TNA last October. She has been unbeatable since winning the Knockouts Title from Gail Kim on the January 10 edition of Impact, but there have been cracks in the deadly combo of Kong and her manager Raesha Saeed as of late with a few miscommunications leading to defeats (Lockdown). Taylor scored a shocking victory out of nowhere on Impact to become the third Knockouts Champion with a rollup. I can’t see Kong winning the title back within three days of losing it as that would really hurt Taylor’s push and character right from the get go, so I can see another miscommunication leading to Taylor scoring yet another victory to retain the gold. Having said that, I believe we will see a potential DQ finish if Kong cannot control her anger and turns her attention to the referee’s. Kong will no doubt be on the warpath and it remains to be seen whether Saeed can keep her monster’s anger focused on Taylor and winning the gold or if the monster’s anger at being pinned and humiliated will lead to her own downfall.Winner: TNA Knockouts Women’s Champion, Taylor Wilde

Will: The title changed hands unexpectedly in somewhat of a fluke, so I’d expect to see a Kong win.Winner: AWESOME KONGFans Choice Match: Full Metal Mayhem/Falls Count Anywhere/Tables MatchAJ Styles, Christian Cage and Rhino vs Kurt Angle and Team 3D
Chris: The stipulation in my eyes will be a Full Metal Mayhem. The reason being, Team 3D (the heels) went nuts on iMPACT when this match was mentioned as an option, and fans being fans typically vote for the one they see gives their favourites an advantage. Personally, I don’t mind what stipulation is chosen because all 3 could lead to potentially fun matches. As for the result, I am torn on this, Angle and 3D haven’t won a match in a while, but the same booking philosophy I brought up in the Fans Revenge match comes in to play. iMPACT went off the air with AJ Styles in an ankle lock and Angle standing tall, so……
Winners: AJ Styles, Christian Cage and Rhino in a Full Metal Mayhem match

Billy: The stipulation most likely to be voted on by fans for this match is likely Full Metal Mayhem, but any
of these stipulations could lead to a potentially great match given the participants involved. Kurt Angle and Team 3D have been on the warpath as of late having sidelined Christian Cage after a powerbomb through a glass table, a concussion for Rhino followed by repeated beatings of AJ Styles every week on Impact. The fans want to see the babyfaces rise to the occasion and kick some tail so I can see them going over here. The condition of both Cage and Rhino remains questionable heading into this match, but I believe they will be fit enough to join AJ and pull out a clean victory.Winner: Christian Cage, AJ Styles and Rhino

Will: A Full Metal whatnow? Why do TNA’s gimmick matches sound like really bad horror movies? Anyway, I digress. The Dud..err..Team 3D seemed to dislike the suggestion of a whatever it’s called match, so I’d expect it go down that road. As for the winner.Winners: AJ Styles, Christian Cage and Rhino

World X Cup Finals: Ultimate XTeam TNA vs Team Mexico vs Team Japan vs Team International

Chris: I think this will be the true finale to the World X Cup, meaning that more points will be on the line for this and therefore the winner of this will probably win the World X Cup outright. Since the competitors have yet to be announced, one would assume it wouldbe Kaz (TNA) vs Daivari (International) vs Milano Collection AT (Japan) vs Averno (Mexico), but with 2 members of Team Mexico not being known and the final member of Team Japan not being known either, I’m not really sure how to predict this one, but here goes…..Winner: Team TNA (Kaz)

Billy: This is the big finale for the 2008 World X Cup Tournament and one of TNA’s most popular signature matches. The X Cup matches are difficult to predict given the fact that we do not know the identity of two members of Team Mexico and one member of Team Japan for whatever reason. They will likely take into account the current points standings for each team with the winners of this match achieving victory in the whole tournament since it’s the grand finale. One representative from each team will be featured in this match so here are my predictions: Kaz (Team TNA) vs. Milano Collection AT (Team Japan) vs. Daivari (Team International) vs. Averno (Team Mexico). It’s very difficult to predict this match and I can easily see all four team captains involved while the others compete in the elimination tag-team match. I’ve had a feeling since this all started that Team TNA will be victorious although I’d rather see it go to Team Japan or Team International. Kaz has been rather popular over the past several months and has won several key matches and put on great performances even when losing so I see that trend continuing as Kaz picks up another big win for his team.
Winner: Team TNA (Kaz)

Will: I’m combining both the World X Cup matches into one paragraph to make it easier to understand, something which cannot be said for the matches themselves. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m sure however it’s done will mean we get great matches, but let’s face it – wrestling fans are stupid. Myself included. We need simple gimmicks, not ones we need a manual to understand.Ultimate X: Team TNA

World X Cup Finals: Elimination MatchTeam TNA vs Team Mexico vs Team Japan vs Team International

Chris: So, we have an elimination match featuring the 3 members of each team not involved in Ultimate X. Because nobody is certain of the teams as of right now, I am finding this difficult to predict. All we know for certain is that the 3 last wrestlers get points for their team. I am guessing it will be 2 points for 3rd place, 3 points for 2nd place and 4 points for the winner. I’m not really sure how to predict this one, but for the most dramatic finish and build to Ultimate X, here goes…..Winner: Team JapanRunner Up: Team International
3rd Place: Team Mexico

Billy: As stated above, this match is very tough to call given that the identity of some tournament participants remains unknown at this time. This elimination match features three members from each team (or those not involved in the Ultimate X) represented in a tag-team elimination format. This match will likely gain the winning team some key final points leading up to the Ultimate X finale so a victory means even more to each team, which gives them greater reason to step up their game and help secure a key spot in the overall standings. I’m not sure how the points system works for this match, but each time might get points depending on their position in the standings (i.e. if you are in first, you get more points than the second place team and so on) [Editors Note: Mike Tenay confirmed on iMPACT that the final 3 competitors will get points based on where they finish so the winner gets more than 2nd place etc]. Since I can see Team TNA securing the win in the finale, I will predict that Team International steps up to the plate and pulls out a big win in a highly entertaining match.Winner: Team InternationalRunner-Up: Team JapanThird Place: Team Mexico

Will: See Ultimate X Match for comment!Winner: Team International
Runner Up: Team Japan
3rd Place: Team Mexico

Grudge Match
“Black Machismo” Jay Lethal vs “The Guru” Sonjay Dutt

Chris: So we have our first grudge match. The odd thing about this has been Sonjay has been getting beaten down by Lethal in the past weeks, and I see Sonjay winning with help from his Guru-ites. I’m calling a SoCal Val heel turn in the works, possibly with Dutt using her as a distraction to help him pick up the win with the turn coming next month and if this feud is to continue, Sonjay as the heel should get the first win in the series, so my prediction is……Winner: “The Guru” Sonjay Dutt

Billy:This is another tough one to predict since Sonjay Dutt has been on the receiving end of beatdowns by Jay Lethal on Impact more than once in anger over Dutt ruining his wedding to Val at Slammiversary. Dutt has gone so far as to recruit his own personal “Guru-ites” (children) to protect him or shield him from Lethal’s attacks as he runs away like a cowardly heel. Lethal still hasn’t gained any sort of real revenge on Dutt for everything that has happened and gained the upper hand on the final Impact before the PPV. I can see Sonjay picking up the victory here as a result of outside help from his Guru-ites possibly acting as a distraction rather than getting physically involved in the match. So Cal Val has also postponed her wedding to Lethal, which, if I may boldly predict, leads me to suspect she’s secretly in cahoots with Sonjay. Dutt for the win but the war is far from over. Winner: “The Guru” Sonjay Dutt

Will: Sorry to go back to the Liverpool shows again, but these two put on a great match during the shows here in the UK and that was without any silly wedding angles. While the outside angle shouldn’t affect the match, I don’t see this one being a classic.
Winner: “The Guru” Sonjay Dutt

Knockouts Match
Angelina Love vs Gail Kim

Chris: While not technically labelled as one, this is another grudge match. TNA have done an awesome job of building this match through their video packages on the history of Angelina/Gail from pre-TNA. We have also seen Angelina Love built up as a complete bitch that you just want to see lose. Gail has been brown bagged on a number of occasions at the hands of the Beautiful People, and I can see Gail finally getting the big win tonight and hopefully starting her push towards the Knockouts championship once again
Winner: Gail Kim

Billy:This is pretty much a grudge match though it isn’t labelled as such on the PPV card. For the past month, we have seen a series of excellent video packages looking at the history between Gail and Angelina dating back to their early days in BCW right up to Sacrifice and the following Impact where Gail sustained a knee injury due to Angelina’s interference. Angelina Love has become a completely self-centred bitch with no regard for anyone but herself and Velvet Sky. She is bitterly jealous of Gail Kim as well. The video packages have portrayed Love as a clear underdog and Gail as the one with more in-ring talent and experience, which leads me to believe Angelina will be going over at Victory Road, but not without some assistance from her partner-in-crime, Velvet Sky. On the other hand, we could see Gail Kim secure the win to further prove that she is above Angelina in many ways, which serves only to anger Angelina even more as her jealousy increases. We saw Gail pin Sky clean on Impact, but she was beaten down and paper bagged for it after the match was over. This usually means the babyface will go over at the PPV, so I am going to predict Gail Kim for the victory in this match and the feud will continue for at least another month.Winner: Gail Kim

Will: The videos and build up seem to have focused on Love being a complete bitch you wouldn’t mind seeing getting hit by a bus, or at least Gail Kim. So Kim to win.
Winner: Gail Kim